Tilting mechanism for automobile headlights



- 'c. P. WOODFORD.

TILTING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILE HEAD'LIGHTS.

APPLICATION man MAR. 25. 19.21.

1,418,769. V Patented June 6,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Eharles P Wuudfurd C. P; WOODFORD. 'HLTING MECHANISMFOR AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT S. -AFFLICATlON man mums. 192.

1,418,769. Patented June 6,1922. 1 Y 2SH'EETS-SHEET 2- I c h fi mw @f m/crraanns rnann woonronn, or sroonnn, wrseonsnm TILTING mncnan'rsin roaanroatonrnn I-IEADLIGHTS.

To H?! 107mm if; may conccm:

Be it known that l, (liiiiaiins PEARL lVoonroan, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and

resident of Spooner, in the county of .Vashburn and State of llisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tiltingl\lechanism for Automobile Headlightsj and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to a tilting mechanism, which is more especiallyadapted for use in connection with headlights commonly used forautomobiles.

Qne important object of the invention is to construct a practical deviceof this kind, which may be quickly and easily operated to tilt theheadlights including the reflectors, so as to throw the rays of' lightdownwardly to prevent the glare which is one of the objectionablefeatures of such'headlights, or to tilt the same in the oppositedirection. to throw the rays of light directly ahead when there is noapproaching vehicle in sight.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallystopping the tilting movement when the headlights have reached the limitof their movement in either direction. 7

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention comprisescertain structural features which will be fully explained in connectionwith the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a vertical transverse sectional view through the tiltingmechanism.

Figure 2 is a front elevation showing the general relation of thetilting mechanism to the headlights.

Figure is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Figure l andFigure is a longitudinal sectional view on the line .4r of Figure 2. v

Referring more specifically to the structure shown in the drawings, thenumeral 5 designates the headlights which are mounted on the arms 6which are adjustably secured to the transverse rod 7. The rod? extendsacross the front of the automobile or other vehicle to which theheadlights are to be.

attached, and is rotatably secured in the arms 8 which project forwardlyfrom the brackets 9 secured to some portion of the vehicle. 7 i

The rod 7 extends through the housing 10,

Specification of t r n Patented June 6, 1922. -Application filed March25, 1921. Serial No. 455,633.

. pin 13 carried by a ratchet wheel 14, which may be driven by theratchet hub 15. This lllllYlS keyed to rotate with the worm gear 16, andis yieldably held in engagement with a the hub of the ratchet wheel 14,by the expansile spring 17, which is enclosed within the hub of thewormgear.

The ratchet wheel and worm gear are supported on the stub shaft 18 whichis car ied bythe boss 19, which is secured on the housing 10. The wormgear 16 is operativelyconnected to the .worm 20which is driven by themotor 21. Y

The worm gear shaft carriesa disk 22 which is adapted to be engaged by abrake: shoe 23 carried "on the arm 24 whichis secured tea shaft Thisshaft is slidably supported by a bracket 26, which is supported on thelower wall of the housing.

The arm 11 is extended at its lower end as shown at 27, and providedwith a laterally extending pin 28 which engages the arm 24 and carriesthe brake shoe 23 into engagement with the disk .22, when the arm 11reaches the forward limit of its movement. At the rear end of the shaft25, a lever 29 ispivotally supported in a bracket 30, and has a pin andslot connection 31 with the end of the shaft 25. When the arm 11 swingsbackwardly to the limit of its rearward motion, the pin 28 strikes theprojecting end of the lever 29 and advances the shaft 25 so that thebrake shoe 23 engages th disk 22 in the same manner as it did upon theforward movement of the arm 11. The shaft 25 is returned to its rearwardposition by the spring 32.

Since the motor may some times get out of order, or for some otherreason it may 'be desirable to tilt the headlights manually of theratchet wheel by a small spring 34.

A rod 35 or the like, extends from the dog 34 to a point within reach ofthe driver.

Vihen it desired to operate the tilting mechanism manually the driverpulls on the member 35. This pull first overcomes the resistance of thespring and engages the dog with the teeth of the ratchet Wheel 14. Uponfurther pull the wheel is rotated and upon releasing the member 35, thearm 33 is returned to its normal position by the spring 36.

In the operationof my device, the tilting mechanism is set in operationeither by op crating the motor 21 or by manually swinging the arm bymeans of the member 35. In case the mechanism is set in operationmanually, it Will be noted that the ratchet Wheel leis rotated forwardlywithout moving the worm gear 16 since the ratchet hub 15 islongitudinally slidable on the shaft18 in opposition to the spring 17vvhichallows the teeth on the ratchet Wheel hub to slip past the teethon the hub 15. After the tilting mechanism has been set in operation,the power is turned off or the member 35 re leased, as the case may be,and the inertia of the mechanism carries 't forward until thebral'ceshoe 23 engages the disk 22, Whereupon the movement of theheadlights is brought to an end with the letter at one extreme positionor the other, as desired,

From the foregoing des' ription, it Willbe seen that I have provided amechanism which can instantly be set in-operation upon the approach ofanother vehicle to tilt the headlights downwardly, and may just asreadily be set in operation to restore the r ried-thereon and engagingsaid slot, means" for rotating said rotary member, and meansfor'automatically applying a brake to the first mentioned means Whensaid arm ap' proaches' the limit of its movement in either direction.

2. In a device of the character described, a rock shaft, headlightsmounted thereon, said rock shaft having an arm secured thereto, a slotin'said arm, a rotary member havmg a pin thereon which engages the slotto rock said arm and said rock shaft upon rotation of the rotary member,motor driven means for rotating said rotary member, and

a brake engageable with said motor driven means and actuated by said armupon a predetermined movement of said arm.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atSpooner' in the county of VVashburn and State of IVisconsin. 7

CHARLES PEARL WOODFORD.

